Ebook: Embodiments of Evil: Gog and Magog. Interdisciplinary Studies of the "Other" in Literature & Internet Texts

Gog and Magog appear in the Book of Genesis, the Book of Ezekiel, the Book of Revelation, and the Qur'an. They are variously presented as men, supernatural beings (giants or demons), national groups, or lands. This thoughtful volume brings together eight essays describing how Gog and Magog, as archetypes of evil, have dwelt in our consciousness since their threatening appearance in the Bible and the Quran. Maps, literature and texts ranging from Medieval Europe, the Byzantine and Arab world, in Berber, Persian and Indonesian traditions, to contemporary internet texts: all use these imaginary monstrous creatures. The figures are constantly reinterpreted as the enemies of order change. Gog and Magog have been represented with dog heads and snake tongues. On the covers of contemporary Arab apocalyptic literature they are usually represented as giants or half-humans.